Taputapuātea

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Taputapuātea: A Cultural and Religious Hub of Ancient Polynesia

Taputapuātea, located on the eastern coast of Ra'iātea Island in French Polynesia, stands as a testament to over a millennium of Mā'ohi civilization. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, this significant cultural and religious hub lies at the heart of the 'Polynesian Triangle', a vast region of the Pacific Ocean teeming with islands.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island is at the centre of the ‘Polynesian Triangle’, a vast portion of the Pacific Ocean, dotted with islands, and the last part of the globe to be settled by humans. The property includes two forested valleys, a portion of lagoon and coral reef and a strip of open ocean. At the heart of the property is the Taputapuātea marae complex, a political, ceremonial and funerary centre. It is characterized by several marae, with different functions. Widespread in Polynesia, the marae were places where the world of the living intersected the world of the ancestors and the gods. Taputapuātea is an exceptional testimony to 1,000 years of mā'ohi civilization.

Encyclopedia Record: Taputapuatea marae

Marae Taputapuatea is a large marae complex at Opoa in Taputapuatea, on the eastern coast of Raiatea. The site features a number of marae and other stone structures and was once considered the central temple and religious center of Eastern Polynesia. In 2017, the Taputapuatea area and the marae complex were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List because of its political and religious significance and its testimony to traditional eastern Polynesian culture.

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